It’s the middle of January….it hasn’t stopped raining for weeks (minor exaggeration)….add to that the fact that it has just started to get cold. Layers are recommended ; warmth, snuggles with little people under blankets…..oh but wait….all these layers means that something is getting ignored….
Last week I had a bath…this was a significant event. As a mother that also works I usually just about have time to shower each morning before rushing around like a blue arsed fly….I apply my makeup, dry & straighten the hair and pretty much ignore my skin. But last week I actually had a couple of hours with no immediate requirement for me to be elsewhere….I couldn’t vacuum because the little people were asleep….the TV choices were so bad they could actually instigate a coma….and the never ending pairing of socks from the sock monster simply didn’t appeal! So I ran a bath, lit a candle & relaxed.
And it was there in said bath that I realised that I don’t examine my skin enough…and if I don’t with my current predicament, I would bet money on the fact that you haven’t either!
The easiest way to properly examine is in-front of a full length mirror….however if you are anything like me, with body dismorphia of epic proportions, you will strip off and instead of looking for moles and freckles you don’t recognise, you will chastise yourself for your fat thighs, spot cellulite and stretch marks and spend vast amounts of time tormenting yourself over flaws that somehow only you can see.
Then there is the added issue of how on earth you examine your back…am I even suggesting 2 full length mirrors…so you can (as I did) utterly freak out at the sight of your dodgy tummy & gargantuan bottom at the same time…in one painful glance.
Please note that I completely understand and relate to the January Blues….we all over indulge over the Holidays & then sit on said derrieres whilst we watch it rain.
You need help….and possibly a camera…
For my legs I enlisted the assistance of little people – for 2 reasons…firstly they are shorter & therefore the legs are easier for them to get to…and secondly I did forget to shave my legs so opted out of allowing The Mr to see my poor housekeeping.
What I couldn’t see myself was photographed ….it turned a task into entertainment…albeit brutal entertainment – I have deleted many, many shots!
Remember I advised you before about the ABCD of moles….the code should you need reminding is on the Jargon page above…you are looking for Asymmetry – moles that are not completely symmetrical….Border – where the border of the mole is unclear or of irregular shape…Colour – moles or freckles that have more than 1 colour variation within them & Diameter – where the mole or freckle exceeds 5mm in size.
Melanoma almost always starts off as a mole – there is no cure for Melanoma – don’t let it get that far & get anything suspicious removed.
Know your skin.
A winter skin check might be a good idea for all of us.
Here are just a selection of the pictures taken this weekend of some of my moles…..would you remove them?